Roller conveyer



March l5, 1938. E. PIQUEREZ ROLLER CONVEYER Filed oct. 25, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet l March 15, 1938.

E. PIQUEREZ ROLLER CONVEYER Filed Oct. 23, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 15, 1938. E. PIQUEREZ ROLLER CONVEYER Filed oct. 25, 19.35

4 Sheets-Sheet 5 March 15, 19939, E. PlQUEREZ ROLLER CONVEYER Filed oct. 25, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Mar. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT @FFE Application october 23, 1935, serial No. 46,438 In France October 31, 1934 7 Claims.

I have made applications for patents in France,

led the 27th March 1935.

The present invention relates to apparatus for transporting loads, in which a series of rollers with horizontal axles are driven mechanically and are rotated about their axles in such a way as to transport the loads deposited upon their upper surfaces.

The invention relates more particularly to apparatus of the above type used for transporting vehicles, and especially automobile vehicles, in Washing and servicing installations.

The improved apparatus forming the subject f of this invention preferably comprises two parallel horizontal conveyers, one receiving the righthand wheels and the other the left-hand wheels of the vehicle, the length of the conveyers being such that the successive operationsl of cleaning,

2O drying or other services can be effected during the displacement of the vehicle from one extremity to the other of the conveyer.

According to the present invention the conveying apparatus is characterized by the following g3 features alone or in combination, viz:

Each roller included in the conveyer has a sprocket fixed thereto and all the sprockets of the same conveyer are driven by a single chain, the driving part of which engages with all the 3c sprockets.

The chain returns from the sprockets of the end rollers, in such a way that the slack return reach of the chain does not engage with the sprockets of the intermediate rollers.

One of the end rollers is actuated by a motor means and drives the working chain in such a direction that the upper stretch of the chain drives the other rollers.

Guiding elements are disposed above each pin- 4o ion and impose on the chain a slightly curved course in such a way that it engages with several teeth of the same pinion.

A tensioning device is arranged on the slack part of th-e chain.

4,5 Each set of rollers is arranged between two longitudinal beams supporting bearings for the roller axles. The rollers are integral with their respective axles which turn in the bearings, and pass through and extend outwardly beyond at 50 least one of the said beams. The portions oi the axles outside the beam are each provided with a driving sprocket.

The chain and the various sprockets are enclosed by a water-tight casing.`

55 The conveyer is prolonged by a non-working part, in which the rollers are free on their axles, that is, are not driven and on which the vehicles come to a stop.

The rollers of the non-working part of the conveyer are provided with a braking arrangement 5; to prevent their turning backwards in such a way as to react against the starting torque of the driven wheels of the vehicle and allow the latter to leave the apparatus under its own power.

When the conveyer is applied to a cleaning 101; installation the spacing of the roller axles in the direction of the longitudinal axes of the conveyer is at least equal to one and a half times the diameter of the rollers, whereby by its passage over the rollers, the vehicle undergoes numerous ver- 15; tical shakings which facilitate the removal of mud and washing water from the vehicle.

Other characteristic features of the invention will appear in the course of the following description of a conveying apparatus in accordance with the invention, said apparatus being shown on the annexed drawings, whereon:--

Fig. l is a diagrammatic elevation of the whole of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. l; 21B,

ment for a roller of the non-working part of the 30,.

apparatus;

Fig. 6 is a View in elevation of a hanger for the chain; and

Fig. '7 is a section along the line A-A in Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawingst- 5j,

The apparatus comprises two conveyers having the same number of rollers and the same rnechanical contrivances, the two conveyers being symmetrical with respect to the central plane of the installation. 40

One of these conveyers is formed by twolongitudinal beams l and 2, one being situated at the side of the central plane and which will be called the internal beam, the other beam 2 being called the external beam. beams rests at its extremities on supports 3 and 4 and on any desired number of intermediate supports (not shown).

Between the two beams are disposed the rollers 5, Fig. 3, each fixed by pointed screws t to a 50j shaft l1, the extremities of which pass through the webs of the beams and turn in supporting bearings in housings 8 and 9 i'ixed on the opposite faces of the webs of the beams.

The housing 8 on the internal beam l comprises 55;

Each of the a ball bearing I0 held on to the shaft l by a nut II, said housing being closed by .a cap I2, whilst a packing washer I3 assures the water-tightness of the end of the shaft. In order to avoid any entry of water into the said housing, a plate i is mounted on the shaft .and turns freely in a chamber which is open at its lower part.

On the external beam 2, the housing 9 also comprises a ball bearing and the same elements for producing water-tightness as for the housing 8, but the end of the shaft l protrudes from the housing .and'carries a sprocket i5 shaped in such a way as to engage with the rollers of a sprocket chain I6.

The driving part of the chain passes successively over all the sprockets with which it engages, Whilst the slack reach i612 of the chain slides on a rail II fixed on the inner face of the lower flange of the beam 2. Guides i8, arranged at long intervals apart, keep the chain on the rail II and prevent it falling rom it, particularly during mounting and dismounting operations.

The driving part i6 of the chain is kept in engagement with the sprockets l5 by fixed guides I9, Figs. 3 and 4, arranged on the extensions 20 of the housing 5. The guides are slightly inclined in such a way `as to cause the chain to follow a curvilinear path and to engage with several teeth of each sprocket. The guides iQ are also of symmetrical form with respect to their axes, so as to be capable of being turned around when they are worn on one side. As shown in Fig. 3 the guides IS engage the rollers of the sprocket chain I6, so that only rolling friction therebetween is developed. The thickness and the position of the guides are such that they bear only against the rollers with which the pintles of `the chain are provided, in such .a way that the friction upon the guides may mainly be rolling friction.

The roller 5a which, see Fig. 1, is located at one extremity of the conveyer is placed at a lower level than that of the other rollers so that the slack of the chain returned on the sprocket of this roller rests on the guide rail Il without reengaging with the sprockets l5. In order to permit the driving of vehicles on to the conveyer, the extreme roller 5w is covered by a sheet iron plate 2l arranged at the level of the supporting surfaces of the running rollers 5.

At the opposite end of the conveyor, the roller 5b, over which the chain returns, serves to drive the chain, the axle of said roller being mounted between the beams I and 2 and supported at its extremities by two ball-bearing housings identical with the housings 9, a sprocket I5b, identical with the running sprockets l5, being fixed at each end of the axle. A driving apparatus 22 constituted, for example, by an electric motor with a reduction gear which has a horizontal shaft 23 carrying two sprockets Ztl drives the sprockets I5b through chains 25, and thus actuates the conveyor.

The slack parts of the chains i6 and 25 are provided with tension elements or stretchers 2t and 46.

Figs. 6 and '7 show in detail the stretcher 26, which comprises a saddle 2l slidable with little friction between three vertical guides 28, 23a and 28h. The t'hree guides are interconnected at their ends by heads 29 and 3E, the former being iixed to the beam 2. A sprocket 3! is mounted on an axle 32 screwed into the saddle 2l between the guides 28 and 28a, this arrangement ,allowing easy removal of the sprocket without having to dismount the guides. The slack of the chain Ib passes over the sprocket and can be tensioned by the action of a threaded rod 33 xed to the saddle and passing through the lower head 3l) on which it is supported by a tension screw 3Q locked by .a lock nut 35. The chain lb leaves the sprocket of the roller 5b to pass on to the tensioning sprocket and a jockey sprocket leads it tothe level of the return` rail l'I.

The tension `device i6 is similar to the device 2S but is arranged horizontally under the beam l, to which it is attached .at its two extremities.

As the beams 2 are of U-form, the housings 9 and the chain I5 are accommodated within the interior oi its profile. A protecting casing Sli, Fig. 3, is xed between the two fianges oi the beam and is held by ties 3l arranged between the sprockets. A water-tight joint 3B prevents the entry of water between the upper edge of the casing and the ilange of the beam.

'Ihe whole of the mechanical part for the driving and support of the rollers is thus well pro tected against water and mud, which is particularly important in the application of the conveyer to cleaning installations for vehicles.

In such an application the installation is arranged in such a manner that the vehicles enter on to the conveyor at the extremity 5a opposite to the motor mechanism, the cleaning thus taking place on that part of the chain furthest from said mechanism. The draining of the water takes place at the central part of the conveyor and the drying and finishing operations are effected at the end where the tension devices and the driving system are arranged, so that all the mechanical elements which are not enclosed in ,a watertight casing are at -a substantial distance from the water and the mud.

The conveyor proper is prolonged at the discharging end by .a non-working part formed by rollers 40, Fig. l, mounted between the beams l and 2 and fixed to their axles, which turn in ball-bearing housings identical with the housings 3 and 5l of the working rollers.

For the rollers lill the sprockets i5 are replaced by ratchet wheels lll, Fig. 5, each mounted in the same way at the end of the axles. Pawl l2 bears on the ratchet wheel and pivots on a pin i3 xed on an extension 2S of the ball-bearing housing 9. A spring 419. constantly urges the pawl l2 into contact with the wheel -fl-I.

When the vehicle carried forward by the conveyer arrives on the non-working part of the conveyer it drives the rollers ll `and continues to advance until the rear wheels of the vehicle are free of the roller 5b. At this moment, the vehicle is stopped. The bearing of the rollers on the pawls l2 allows the vehicle to move away under its own power, the said rollers being unable to turn backwards under the action of the driving force of the wheels.

The conveyer thus formed can be utilized not only for the washing of vehicles but also in all installations necessitating the transporting of these vehicles as, for example, installations for greasing the chassis when this operation is carried out as a continuous process.

It will be well understood that the apparatus could be adapted to its particular applications and could undergo any modifications that are necessitated by such adaptations.

I claim:

i. Apparatus for transporting and supporting motor vehicles during servicing, comprising an elongated conveyer having a plurality of rollers disposed parallel to each other, said rollers comprising a first group extending from the loading end of the conveyer toward the discharge end, means for rotating the rollers of said first group forwardly for transporting the vehicles forwardly with their wheels locked, said first group extending the entire distance in which servicin-g of the vehicle is performed, a second group of rollers extending from the end of the first group to the discharge end of the conveyer, for receiving the vehicles from the first group after the servicing operations with their wheels locked, the rollers of said second group being freely rotatable forwardly, means for preventing rearward rotation of the rollers of said second Igroup so that the vehicles may be removed from the discharge end of the said second group under their own power.

2. Apparatus for transporting motor vehicles during servicing comprising a plurality of rollers, each roller being provided with a rotatable shaft on which it is fixed, a chain sprocket fixed on each shaft, a chain engaging by its driving reach with all the said sprockets, means for increasing the arc of engagement between the driving run of the chain and each sprocket, means for tensioning the other reach of the chain and for keeping said other reach disengaged from the sprockets, and means for driving the shaft of one of the end rollers in such a manner that the driving run is the upper reach of the chain.

3. Apparatus for transporting motor vehicles during servicing comprising, a plurality of rollers arranged parallel with each other, each roller being provided with a rotatable shaft on which it is fixed, said rollers being arranged into two parallel rows, each row comprising, from the loading end to the discharge end, a first group of rollers, each roller shaft of both first groups being provided with a sprocket wheel fixed thereon, a pair of chains each engaging with all of the sprocket wheels of one row of rollers, means disposed at the forward end of each of said first groups to drive one of the rollers thereof, each row of rollers also comprising a group of nondriven rollers following the driven groups, the non-driven rollers being freely rotatable forwardly, means for locking 'the non-driven rollers against rotation from front to rear, the nondriven groups of rollers extending over a length suiiicient to receive a vehicle after servicing treatment, so that the latter may leave the apparatus under its own power.

l. Apparatus for transporting motor vehicles during servicing, comprising a plurality of rollers arranged in two parallel rows, each roller having a rotatable shaft on which it is xed, a sprocket wheel on each shaft, a chain engaging with its driving reach with all the roller sprocket wheels in the same row, a pair of parallel U- shaped beams, two bearings for supporting each roller shaft, each of said bearings being mounted in one of said U-shaped beams, the sprocket wheel of each roller being mounted at one end of its shaft and in the groovey of one of said U- shaped beams, plates for closing the grooves of said U-shaped beams to form casings, Ine-ans including stufng boxes providing water tightness of the casings, and a motor having a chain' power transmission for driving the shafts of one of the end rollers of each row.

5. Apparatus for supporting and transporting motor vehicles during servicing, comprising a plurality of rollers parallel with each other, and arranged in two parallel rows, each row cornprising from loading to the discharge end a first group of rollers, each having a rotatable axle provided at one end with a sprocket wheel, said roller axles having supporting bearings, and chains each engaging with all the roller sprocket wheels of one row, a motor having a shaft and a chain transmitting driving force between the motor shaft and the shaft of the end roller sprocket wheel at they front end o-f each of said first groups of rollers, each of said rows of rollers also comprising a second group of non-driven rollers arranged following the driven rollers, said second groups of non-driven rollers extending over a length sufficient to receive a vehicle after servicing, means for locking the non-driven rollers against rotation in the direction from front to rear, said non-driven rollers being freely rotatable forwardly, so that the vehicle with its wheels locked can pass onto said non-driven rollers without sliding and may leave the apparatus under its own power, and a pair of U-shaped supporting beams at the ends of the rollers of each row, the bearings, sprocket wheels, driving chains and locking means being disposed in the grooves of said beams, plates closing said grooves to form water tight casings and stuffing boxes for excluding water and dirt from the bearings.

6. Apparatus for supporting and transporting motor vehicles during servicing, comprising a plurality of parallelly disposed rollers arranged in two parallel rows, the axes of the rollers being transverse to the direction of extent of the rows,

each roller having a rotatable shaft on which it is fixed, each shaft having a pair of bearings on` which it is mounted, one at each end thereof, each bearing being enclosed in a casing and means for excluding water and solid matter from said casings, a sprocket wheel on each shaft, a pair of chains each engaging with its driving reach all the sprocketwheels of the rollers in one of the rows, the distance between the axes of the rollers in the direction of the rows being substantially equal to one and a half times' the.

diameter of a roller, and means for driving the shaft of one of the end rollers of each row so that the driving reaches of the chains are the upper reaches thereof.

'7. Apparatus for transporting motor vehicles during servicing comprising a plurality of rollers, each roller being provided with a rotatable shaft on which it is fixed, a sprocket fixed on each shaft, a sprocket chain having rollers engaged by its driving reach with all the sprockets, means comprising fixed inclined guides extending downwardly at an angle between each adjacent pair of sprockets and engaging the rollers of the chain for increasing the arc of engagement between the driving run of the chain and each sprocket, means for tensioning the other reach of the chain and for keeping said other reach disengaged frorn the sprockets, and means for driving the shaft of one of the end rollers in such a manner that the driving run is the upper reach of the chain.

EMILE PIQUEREZ. 

